Blow-off cock.



No. 634,440. Patented ocr. |o,la99.

L. 51. BUTLER.

BLOW-UFF COCK..

(Application flied Mar. 6, 1899.) (,No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

l l I l l l I No. 634,440. Patented Oct. l0, 1899.. L. E. BUTLER.

BLow-'oFF cock.

(Application led Mrf, 1899.\

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

LEON E. BUTLER, OF PRINCETON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY VISSERING AND LOUIS A. HOERR, OF ST.- LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,440, dated October 10, 1899. Application led March 6, 1899. Serial No-` 707,978. (N0 model.)

"To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

zen of the United States, residing at the city of Princeton, county of Gibson, State of `Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Blow-Off Cocks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable'cthers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of. this specification, in Which- Figure lis a conventional illustration showing a locomotive in dotted lines and the arrangement of my improved blow-off cocks thereon, showing the engineers valve for admitting pressure to each or all of said blow-off cocks at the will of the engineer. Fig. 2 is a sectional View of one of my improved blowoff cocks in position. Fig. 3 is an end elevavional View of the same as seen from the inner end thereof. Fig. -l is a cross-sectional view illustrating a slightly-modified form of my improved blow-off cock, and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of said modified form. Y

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in blow off cocks especially adapted for use in connection with railwaylocomotives, the object being to provide the boiler at desirable points with blow-off cocks,A

each of which is connected by a pressure-pipe to a valve in the cabin of the engine, whereby the engineer can at will operate any one or all of said blow-off cocks for the purpose of cleaning the boiler and getting rid of scale, dre.

The special features of my invention reside in the novel arrangement of an emergencyvalve in connection with myimproved blowoff cock, whereby in the event of accidental displacement by breakage or otherwise of the blow-off cock proper, as in wrecks, dto., said emergency-valve will immediately close the opening in which the blow-off cock was arranged and shut off the escape of boiler-pressure into the atmosphere. Broken pipes and valves are a source of great danger in wrecks, as the confinement of any of the train-crew under the wreck means possible death by scalding.

Another feature of my invention resides in the construction and arrangement of the blowi off cock proper, wherein there are no packed Be it known thatI, LEON E. BUTLER, aciti.

joints to become worn and admit boiler-pressure intothe main piston to counteract the pressure admitted from the cabin. This blowo cock to meet these requirements is provided with an externally-arranged yoke connecting the main piston to the valve of the blow-off cock proper, under which main piston leads a pressure-pipe under control of the engineer, whereby upon admission of pressure-undersaid main piston the blow-off valve is raised from its seat to permit water from the boiler to pass to the exterior.

Other features reside `in the construction, arrangement, and combination-of the -several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims'. e

In the drawings in Fig. l I have shown an engine in dotted lines for the purpose of illustrating the position'of my improved blow-off cocks relative to the boiler thereof, in which it will be seen that three cocks are em ployedone under the boiler, near the frontend thereof, one in the jacket in front of the dre-box above whatis known as the mud-drum, and the other in the jacket of the fire-box, at the rear end thereof and above the mud-drum.

InFig. l, A', A2, and A3 indicate blow-off cocks attached to the boiler, as above described, to which lead pressure-supply pipes B, B2, vand B3, said pressure-supply pipes being connected to a valve K, known as the engineers valve and located in the cabin ofthe engine, whereby pressure maybe admitted to said pipes to operate the blow-olf cocks, into which valve K leads a supply-pipe L from the reservoir or other suitable source of supply. The easings of these valves I have marked A in the drawings, to which lead at proper points pressn re-supply pipes B, said pressure-supply pipes being connected to the casing of an engineers valve located in the cabin of the engine. As the construction of all the blow-off cocks shown in Fig. lis the same, I have illustrated but one of them in Figs. 2 and 3, which I will now describe.

The casing A is provided with a central partition a, in which is located the main valve C, preferably cone-seated in said partition, said valve being provided with wings, as usual. Screwed into the top of casingA above valve IOO ICY

C is a threaded stem formed integral with a cylinder D, said threaded stem being provided with a pocket for thereception of a spring E, which surrounds a nose or lug on valve C to hold said spring in place, said spring at all times exerting constant pressure on said valve to hold itto its seat. The objectof this spring in holding this valve constantly to its seat is to enable the blow-off cock as an entirety to be attached and finally occupy any position, depending upon how far the threads thereof will permit the casing A to be turned home. In the absence of spring E should the valves be inverted with respect to the position shown in the drawings the absence of steam-pressure from the boiler would permit the valve to fall down by gravity and drain the boiler of water. Located in cylinder D is a main piston F, whose stem projects through a suitable opening in the cap D, secured to said piston, said stem being formed near its upper end with a shoulder, its reduced portion passing through an opening in a yoke G, behind which a cotterpin is introduced to secure said piston and yoke together. It will be noticed that the opening in cap D', through which the pistonstem passes, is not a packed joint, as such is not necessary, it being important to provide the spaces shown to readily accommodate Ithe displacement of air in the upper chamber of the cylinder upon the movement of the piston. The pressure-supply pipe I3, to which I have referred before, enters eylinderD at a point beneath the main piston. The yoke G, to which I have referred, is best seen in Fig. 3, where, it will be noted, said yoke enti rely surrounds the casing A, its lower end being provided with a threaded opening, in which is secured a plug This plug g is formed with a socket in its upper face for receiving a stem C', extending downwardly through an opening in casing A, said stem being connected to the valve C. The opening in casing A, through which stem C' passes, need not be packed, bccause there is seldom any pressure in the outer chamber of casing A, and when such pressure exists in such casing when the blow-off cock is in operation it is immaterial whether there is leakage at this joint or not. In fact, leakage at this point is desirable to prevent water accumulating in the bowl of this chamber and freezing around the stem, which would prevent its operation. The upper face of plug rj is conical in shape for the purpose of shedding any water passing through the opening around stem C. rl`he object of providing this plug g in the yoke is to enable the yoke to be slipped in position by being moved upwardly to receive the piston-stem, the opening in the lower end of the yoke permitting this, after which the plug q is inserted7 which may be adjusted to make a solid structure, although it is desirable to keep the piston F elevated above the bottom of the cylinder, allowing a clearance for the proper seating of valve C. By arranging this yoke exterior-ly it is obvious that should the valve C become stuck, so that pressure through pipe i3 under the piston cannot move it, a light blow of a hammer will dislodge valve C, so that it can be manually operated.

The outer end of casing A is screw-threaded to receive a coupling-sleeve of a universal coupling which connects a discharge-pipe II to said casing, which pipe leads t0 any desirable point for the nal discharge into the atmosphere of boiler contents. The inner end of casing A is likewise threaded to engage a threaded opening in the boiler-shell, (marked X in Fig. 2.) On this inner threaded portion of casing A is arranged a reduced threaded extension a', on which is screwed a strainer I, said strainer preferably consisting of parallel bars connected to a head, which head forms a bearing for the stem j of an emergencyvalve J. This emergency-valve is provided with obliquely-arranged wings which have a bearing against a shoulder in the valve-casing A, preferably beyond a reduced annulus b therein. It will be noticed that at the point l) the valve-easing is comparatively weak. Beyond that point, as at C2, the walls are thickened. The object of thus constructing the valve-casing is to confine the breakage in case of a wreck to a single line and that in such relation to the emergency-valve that should the blow-off cock, in wh ose inner chamber the boiler-pressure is constantly contained, be removed by such breakage the emergency-valve will be released and seat itself to close the opening and prevent the escape ofthe contents ofthe boiler to the exterior. Any breakage beyond the valve C would of course not affect-said valve, and valve C would suffice of itself to retain the pressure in the boiler at that point. Should any breakage occur between valve C and the shell of the boiler, it would be at the weakened portion l), which would release valve J, permitting said valve to seat itself.

The object of providing valve .I with a spindle or stem and with obliquely or diagonally arranged wings is to force the rotation thereof during the normal operation of the blowolf cock, whereby said valve will constantly free its seat from all scale or other accumulation in readiness for operation in ease of accident.

In Figs. i and 5 I have shown a slightlymodied form of my improved blow-of cock, in which I haveprovided a bell-crank lever I, pivotcd at p to the casing of the blow-olf cock proper and having one member engage the stem C, the other member being connected by a link Iy to the piston-head in the cylinder, which cylinder in this form is horizontall y arranged instead of vertically arranged, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The operation of the blow-off cock here shown is the same as that heretofore described.

By the construction and arrangement of the valve-casing, valve, cylinder, and piston it will be observed that should it be desirable to regrind the valve-seat for the valve C all IOO that is necessary is to unscrew the cylinder D from the casing A, remove said valve C, and access may be readily had to said valveseat. This construction obviates the necessity of removing the entire blow-0E cock from the boiler to grind the valve-seat, as will be readily understood. l

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the'nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a blow-off cock, the combination with a casing, of a valve arrangedin said casing and adapted to be closed by pressure, a stem on said valve extending to the exterior, a cylinder removably mounted on the valve-casing and constituting a complement of the casing, a piston in said cylinder, and exterior connections between said piston and said valve-stem, whereby, when pressure is admitted behind said piston in excess of the pressure which holds the valve to its seat, said valve is operated through said exterior connections; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a valve-casing, of avalve arranged therein, adapted to be seated lby pressure, and whose stem projects through said casing to the exterior, a yoke provided with a plug for receiving said stem loosely, a

-piston arranged on the opposite side of the casing, said piston being connected to said yoke, and a pressure-supply pipe leading under said piston; whereby, when pressure is admitted to said piston in excess of the pressure which seats the valve, said valve will be raised fromits seat substantially as described.

3. The combination with the valve-casing, of a valve arranged therein and adapted to be seated by pressure, a spring arranged behind said valve, astem projecting from said valve through the casing, a yokein which said stem is loosely and removably received, a cylinder having a threaded boss screwed into the opposite side of the casing to receive the Valve-spring, a piston in said cylinder, a stem on said piston connected to said yoke, and a pressure-supply pipe leading into the lower end of the cylinder under said piston for admitting pressure to said cylinder, and operating the yoke and valve; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a casing adapted to be attached to a boilershell and having an internal reduced annulus and adjacent shoulder in its bore, of an emergency-valve normally held away from its seat by a p0rtion thereof resting upon said shoulder.

5. The combination with a casing adapted to be screwed into a hole' in a boiler-shell, said casing having a valve-seat on its inner end and provided internally with a reduced annulus and adjacent shoulder, of an emergency valve having obliquely arranged wings, which hold it normally away from'its seat by resting upon the shoulder.

6. The combination with a casing having a reduced annulus and a shoulder in its bore, of an emergency-valve having wings which normally rest upon said shoulder, the valve having a stem on its outer end, and a strainer secured to the casing around the valve and provided with a hole for the passage of the stem on the valve.

7. The combination with a casing having the reduced annulus b, a shoulder and the reduced threaded extension d,havinga valveseat on its outer end, of a strainer I, screwed on the extension a, and an emergency-valve contained in the strainer and normally held against the shoulder in t-he casing.

8. The combination with the casing of a blow-off cock, which is weakened by a reduced annulus b, of an emergencyvalve which is shouldered against said casing in juxtaposition to said reduced annulus, and a strainer formed with a bearing to receive the stem or spindle of said blow-off cock, permitting the same to rotate when the blow-off cock is opened; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a blow-off cock, comprising a suitable casing and its contained valve which valve is seated by boiler-pressure, a duid-operated piston for operating said valve against said boiler-pressure, the metal in said valve-casing being reduced without the boiler-plate, so as to define a line of breakage in case of accident or wreck, an emergency-valve comprising a valve-seat, and obliquely-arranged win gs which are seated in the valve-casing beyond the definingline of breakage, a spindle on the inner end of said emergency-valve, and a support for said spindle mounted on the blow-o-cock casing; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of February, 1899.

LEON E. BUTLER.

Witnesses: PHILIP DREscHER, H. C. WERNTZ.

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